Ebola: US lifts hold on experimental drug The United States health authorities have lifted safety restrictions on an experimental drug developed for the treatment of Ebola, as a step toward making its use in patients infected with the deadly virus possible. Canadian drug maker Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation stated that the US Food and Drug Administration modified a hold recently placed on the company’s drug after safety issues emerged in human testing. In a statement released on Thursday and signed by the company’s Director of Investor Relations, Julie Rezler, the company said it was pleased by the new go-ahead received from the FDA. The President of the pharmaceutical firm, Dr. Mark Murray, was quoted in the statement as saying, “We are pleased that the FDA has considered the risk-reward of TKM-Ebola for infected patients. We have been closely watching the Ebola virus outbreak and its consequences, and we are willing to assist with any responsible use of TKM-Ebola. “The foresight shown by the FDA removes one potential roadblock to doing so”. Murray added, “This current outbreak underscores the critical need for effective therapeutic agents to treat the Ebola virus. We recognise the heightened urgency of this situation, and are carefully evaluating options for use of our investigational drug within accepted clinical and regulatory protocols.” TKM-Ebola is being developed by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals and the US Department of Defence’s Medical Countermeasure Systems BioDefense Therapeutics Joint Product Management Office.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 14:52:05 +0000
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